To think this packed lunch is fine?

[Lunchwoes]

So about a month ago DSD switched from hot lunches to packed lunch. She goes to school from our house Monday and Tuesday so I pack her lunch.

Today her Mum has text DH and said she's always starving when she gets in Mon and Tuesday so she needs bigger lunches. He said no problem we will make them a bit bigger or pack an extra snack for later as she has netball on a Tuesday after school.

Now this is the crazy bit, she said she just buys her Tesco meal deals as they fill her up and asked that we do the same!

For info she had a cheese and tomato omelette with a slice of toast for breakfast. Her packed lunch was a roast chicken and salad wrap, apple slices and peanut butter, a Greek yogurt and some celery sticks with hummus.

I will obviously very happily pack extra if she's hungry but a tesco meal deal?!

When I do lunch duty I see lots of kids binning stuff like humous. It’s the one thing that kids seem to dislike eating - maybe it’s seen as smelly/weird/posh … which I know it’s not but it’s what I see (secondary school 1500 pupils)

What meal deal is she taking? Maybe aim for a healthier homemade version of that?

I don’t think that you are wrong but at 12 I would ask her opinion on whether her lunch is filling. Can she take another wrap or maybe a boiled egg or some cheese?

Most odd. I would ask the girl what she would like for her packed lunch and how much, then you can't go wrong.

Your food sounds much better and healthier, but doesn’t sound like enough to keep an active tween full for 5/6 hours.

She’s hungry.

So either it’s not enough or she’s not eating it.

I don’t know many 12yos who like Greek yoghurt and celery sticks aren’t that filling.

If meal deals fill her up then it’s likely because they’re quite carby and at her age she needs her carbs, especially if she is sporty.

Let her choose what she wants to eat and pop a couple of healthy options in there too.

To be fair she does like all the food as she eats it at home no problem. She loves Greek yogurt!

Theres nothing wrong with a meal deal, but they are a bit pricey now.

On pack up day our nine year old typically has two egg mayo sandwiches (so two slices of bread made with 2-3 eggs), dairy free yoghurt, banana, some sort of crackers, something to dip the crackers in or very occasionally dairy free cheese, 2-3 oreos. Unless its a very substantial wrap (like an entire chicken breast) your pack up wouldn’t be nearly enough for him.

That sounds like a lovely balanced lunch, and I wouldn’t be packing a Tesco meal deal! Could you add a banana and something like a healthy flapjack? We get the doves farm ones which aren’t too bad ingredients wise.

I don't know but can you make my lunches too please

I voted YANBU before I saw her age. It’s a bit babyish for secondary school, whereas the meal deal probably seems more grown up. I’d put in whole fruit instead of the apple slices, and chuck in a cereal bar and/or crisps.

Agree. Needs more carbs and proteins and good fats IMO

That would be a great lunch for a 7 year old.

As well as not being filling enough, I'm not sure your average 12 year old wants to sit and eat apple slices (why not just an apple?) or celery sticks in front of their peers.

Ask them what they want in their lunch and leave them to sort it out. I'd also suggest a pre netball snack or money to buy one?

That sounds a great lunch and sounds like she is also having a filling and healthy breakfast to set her up for the day too. . I would add in another wrap to have later if she is still hungry, and another piece of fruit. That’s about what my 11 year old would have (1 wrap) with the addition of a cheese string. Also meal deals would cost a fortune!

Her lunch doesn’t sound filling. My 5 year old would be hungry following that.

At 12 she probably wants similar to her friends (when I was that age everyone did take meal deals). Obviously you don’t need to buy her a meal deal but she obviously needs more food.

She is hungry because she is growing up. I let mine eat whatever they want when they get home if they are hungry. I don’t make’s them wait for dinner. But we also have dinner together; if they are not too hungry they can have a small serving. I don’t keep junk food at home but if they want to buy occasionally that is not an issue either

I don’t know many 12yos who like Greek yoghurt

All of mine would live on Greek yogurt given the choice.

I’d say no to the meal deal because its far too expensive. Just get your husband to make her a sandwich at home, buy a bag of multipack crisps and then put the usual fruit, snacks in etc

Lunch sounds delicious, bung in a packet of crisps and some kind of snack bar and I think that would be a good compromise and keen her full!

My 15 yo DS sorts his own lunch out, and he takes
A cheese and salsa wrap.
And that's all. No snacks. I would be eating my own arm if that's all I had! 🤣
He's not a standard MN 6'2" son but he is quite sporty!
(He eats loads at dinner, but not interested in a bigger lunch)
Maybe it's too time consuming to eat eg celery and apple, maybe sonething you can eat more quickly, but agree a meal deal would be expensive, potentially less healthy and impractical for every day

Id add in crisps and a biscuit bar of some kind. What you’re providing is like the main part of the meal deal but with extra fruit and yoghurt so I don’t think a meal deal would be better! But I think a nice snack might add to it a bit.

Absolutely willing to accept that lunch needs to be bigger but posters saying 5 year olds would still be hungry after a large wrap filled with roast chicken, lettuce, onion, cucumber, tomato and salad dressing plus a pot of Greek yogurt, a whole apple with peanut butter and vegetables and hummus is just verging on the ridiculous 😂

I think people are perhaps thinking of chicken as 1 slice of chicken from a pack of chicken slices. Which would not be filling!

She’ll probably just go back to buying school dinners which are more unhealthy. She wants a meal deal and has probably told her mum to ask you because she doesn’t want to.

Neither of my kids would have eaten anything like that much at 5, and possibly even 15! It doesn't sound skimpy to me although I would have prob put something unhealthier like a cookie or flapjack in place of celery and humous

That sounds like plenty of food for an adult! Surprised the school allows peanut butter.